Every state in the U.S. has a version of the lemon law. The lemon law and qualification requirements are not exactly the same from from state to state, but the basic rights under the law provide you with basically the same level of protection. That is, if you purchase a car that turns out to be a "lemon," you are entitled for a refund or replacement vehicle. But you have to know your state's law to claim your lemon.

Your state probably also has some type of law that requires car manufacturers to honor car warranties under certain conditions. These laws also vary from state to state. It is up to you as the consumer to do some research to determine the laws and statutes in your particular state.

For example, the Texas lemon law is available to consumers who buy or lease new vehicles in Texas. This automobile lemon law obligates manufactures to repair, replace, or refund the price of motor vehicles that prove to be defective time and time again. While the lemon law covers many different defects of a vehicle, you have to know the letter of the law to get your vehicle declared a lemon.

In California, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, or "lemon law" as it is more commonly called, benefits consumers greatly. The California lemon law provides protection when purchasing new and used vehicles, making California consumers the most protected car buyers in the country. Offenders must offer a refund or replacement car for purchases that turn out to be "lemons" under the California lemon law.

So if you live in California you are pretty lucky if you need to use the lemon law. However, your state may have laws that are almost as good. You should go to Google and search for "lemon law" plus your state's name to find out exactly what your state's lemon laws are.